Wednesday, December 19, 2007

"Nip/Tuck" Recap & Review - "Duke Collins"

Nip/Tuck"Duke Collins"

Original Air Date: December 18, 2007

Tom R - TwoCents Staff Writer

Ok, so a couple weeks ago, I yapped about the perils of the Concept Episode, so it’s only fair to talk about the Holiday Episode, which is also utilized by almost every show on the air. The difference is that with the Holiday Episode, writers usually take the opportunity to frame the characters against the backdrop, taking them in new directions, showing a softer side, or letting all hell break loose while everyone is trapped under the same roof.

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Ok, so a couple weeks ago, I yapped about the perils of the Concept Episode, so it’s only fair to talk about the Holiday Episode, which is also utilized by almost every show on the air. The difference is that with the Holiday Episode, writers usually take the opportunity to frame the characters against the backdrop, taking them in new directions, showing a softer side, or letting all hell break loose while everyone is trapped under the same roof.

Last season, this meant seeing a drunken, miserable Sean playing Santa in a department store, being fellated by one of his helpers, partly in retaliation for Julia’s relationship with the diminutive Marlowe. This year, we open with a choir of carolers who were jumped by a street gang when their red coats were taken as gang colors. In exchange for their surgeries, they offer to turn the office into Christmastown. Shortly after that we move to Duke Collins, a department store Santa who was shot in the face by a kid who never got what he was promised.

Sean, Christian and Julia have their Secret Santa ceremony disrupted by the news of Matt’s admission to the hospital for second degree burns. After treating the skin damage, the three greet Matt as he wakes up. After a long silence, Sean virtually disowns Matt and storms out of the room. Matt is later visited by Rachel Ben Natton (Maggie Siff), an Israeli survivor of a suicide bombing. With her face reconstructed, she urges Matt to take this opportunity not just to recover, but to reinvent himself. Siff is definitely a performer to watch, bringing a resilient and defiant presence into Matt’s life at a key point.

Christian wants to be out in the open about his relationship with Julia, but she urges him to wait until after the holidays to break the news. Sean almost catches them together, but Christian plays it off, even when Sean calls Julia and the phone on the nightstand rings. Christian says he picked the wrong phone up in the confusion after receiving the cal about Matt. In the end, Sean picks up on the signals and puts two and two together to realize the truth. Christian tell Sean he’ll drop the relationship if Sean doesn’t approve, but Sean seems to at least be accepting through clenched teeth.

Julia and Christian confront Kimber and Ram at their office party, where Kimber announces her intentions to divorce Matt, marry Ram and hold onto baby Jenna. When they challenge this, Ram tells them about Matt’s foray into gay porn, conveniently leaving out the fact that he left the set before the cameras started rolling. Returning to Matt’s hospital room, they are both ready to accept defeat, but it is Rachel who urges Matt to fight on. Ultimately, Sean and Matt also reconcile, but Matt stresses the need to be a man of his own rather than someone else’s son.

Returning to Olivia’s apartment, Julia is presented with a fruitcake generously baked for her by Eden. Of course, it’s laced with something, but nothing takes effect within the course of the episode.

And the Duke Collins story turns out to be a hoax, as his wife and son enter the office and his son apologizes for shooting him. Apparently, the surgery was a ploy to delay child support payments. The wife pulls out a gun of her own. Her shot is blocked, but the stray bullet hits one of the carolers. The mournful version of Frosty is a nice counterpoint with these lines:

“He waved goodbye, saying ‘Don’t you cry’/”“’I’ll be back again someday.’”

Those lines could apply to the fallen caroler, or to Matt. The closing Christmas montage offers several undertones to the pleasant feelings on the surface. A good place to leave things before the Holiday break.

God Bless Us, Every One! Or is it God Help Us?

Quotable“It takes two or more to tangle with Kimber. Preferably eight. One for each tentacle.”Christian, offering to accompany Julia to her confrontation.